


Night Terrors

by The_Jade_Goblin



Category: Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: M/M, because this couple will be the death of me, here's another fluff fic, take all the fluff, take it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-17
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-27 06:12:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,492
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6272983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Jade_Goblin/pseuds/The_Jade_Goblin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec comes home late from a mission, only to find his boyfriend in the throng of a nightmare. </p><p>Even the High Warlock of Brooklyn needs taking care of every now and then.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Terrors

Alec knew he would be late home, but he hadn’t anticipated being this late. The moon was high in the sky by the time he dragged his weary body over the threshold of the apartment he shared with Magnus. The inscription on the door once read MAGNUS BANE, HIGH WARLOCK OF BROOKYLN, but Magnus had changed it some months ago, it now had the addition of ALEC LIGHTWOOD, HEAD OF THE NEW YORK INSTITUTE next to Magnus’ title. He’d done it as a surprise to Alec, and surprised the Shadowhunter had been. Seeing his name next to Magnus’ on the door to their home made him smile every time he walked passed it.

Chairman Meow was waiting for him at the door, the tabby cat meowing in greeting as Alec stumbled in, hanging up his jacket and running a tired hand through his hair. The apartment was dark, which wasn’t a surprise. Magnus had probably gone to bed hours ago. He usually waited for Alec to return, but some nights he gave in and fell asleep if he took too long to come home. Tonight was one of those nights it seemed.

 “Hey buddy,” Alec murmured, petting the cat on the head before crashing wearily onto the couch.

Chairman purred and snuggled up to Alec’s side as he painstakingly went through the process of removing his gear. Not wanting to leave a mess on the floor – Magnus hated it when he did that, last time he’d gotten demon blood on his new carpet he’d made Alec sleep on the couch for three days – he took this things to the bathroom to hang them. He got into the shower to wash off the grime and sweat and blood he’d been covered in during his mission, and sighed as the hot water soothed his aching muscles.

He had a few minor injuries that Magnus would want to look at if he were awake, but since he was asleep Alec just bandaged them up, hoping the warlock wouldn’t panic in the morning. You’d think Alec was a child the way Magnus carried on over his injures. Alec couldn’t really blame him he supposed, Shadowhunters didn’t have very long life expectancies, and Magnus always worried whenever he left to go on a mission, always making him swear an oath on the Angel to return to him.

Shaking his head at the thought of his overly-protective boyfriend, Alec got out of the shower and dressed himself for bed, letting Chairman into their room so he could curl up on the end of the bed like he did. Magnus was fast asleep, tossing and turning on the bed, murmuring things under his breath. Alec sat on the bed just as Magnus rolled over to face, eyes screwed up tight and hands clenched in the sheets. Alec realized with a jolt when Magnus gasped and made a pained noise that the warlock was having a nightmare. Alec reached over to touch him, but the warlock instinctively shrunk back and shrieked, the sound muffled by the sheets he buried himself in. Alec’s touch seemed to trigger something in Magnus, because he kept screaming and tossing in the sheets, terrified of whatever it was in his mind.

“Magnus?” Alec had no idea what to do; Magnus was in the grips of his nightmare and wasn’t coming to. “Magnus!”

Alec tried to touch him but Magnus’ magic came out to defend him, burning his hands. Alec ignored the burn on his hands, and kept trying to reach to Magnus. He managed to pin the warlock’s arms down on the bed, but he writhed and struggled against his touch, letting out a shriek so painfully wretched that Alec winced at the sound.

“Magnus!” he shouted. “Magnus wake up!”

Thinking of nothing else he could do to calm him, Alec loosened his grip and slipped his arms around Magnus’ waist, pulling him up to sitting position and holding him close, pressing his lips to his temple, whispering reassurances over Magnus’ whimpers. Slowly, the warlock’s breathing calmed, and Alec let his body relax from the tense position he’d been in. He felt Magnus sigh against him.

“Alexander…?” his voice was small and frightened.

“I’m here Magnus,” Alec murmured. “You’re alright now. It was just a dream.”

Magnus gave a shuddering sigh, burying his face in the crook of Alec’s neck. He sniffled quietly, and Alec suddenly realised he was crying. Almost at once his arms tightened their grip around him as Magnus’ started to shake with his silent sobs. Alec didn’t say anything, not knowing what he could say anyway, he just held Magnus as he cried, his heart slowly breaking at see his boyfriend in such a state. When Magnus calmed down and went quiet, he gently kissed his temple, and pulled back to see his face.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

Slowly, Magnus nodded. “I’m okay now,” he whispered, reaching up to wipe his eyes with the back of his hand.

Alec kissed his forehead and brushed the hair out of his eyes. Magnus looked up into his blue eyes, eyes that were swimming with concern and affection, and managed to give a tiny smile. How did he get so lucky? How did he end up with this loving and caring Shadowhunter by his side to hold him when he cried?

“What was your nightmare about?” Alec asked.

Magnus’ eyes flickered down. “The Uprising.” He murmured.

“Oh…do you want to talk about it?”

“It’s been years since I thought about it, I’m not sure what brought on the memory but…” Magnus sighed, resting his head on Alec’s shoulder. “I saw too many people die that day, good people, some of them I’d known for centuries."

Alec gently rubbed Magnus’ back as he sighed again.

“I was dreaming on my friends. Of Cat and Ragnor…of the other Downworlders caught in the crossfire…and…”

“And what?”

Magnus bit his lip. “You don’t want to hear what I witnessed that day Alexander, even a Shadowhunter couldn’t stomach that. I just wish I knew what made me dream about it…”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s over now.” Alec murmured. “Are you alright?”

“Of course I’m alright,” Magnus said, voice suddenly sleepily. “I’m in your arms.”

Alec blushed, but it was too dark to see. “Do you want coffee? Or do you want to go back to bed?”

Magnus considered for a moment. He bit his lip. “Could you stay with me? I don’t want to sleep right now…”

“Of course,” Alec smiled, brushing his lips over Magnus’.

Magnus sighed happily and snuggled into Alec. “I love you,” he murmured.

“I love you too Magnus.” Alec replied.

Magnus glanced up at him, peeking through his black hair. “When did you get home darling?”

“Not long ago.”

Magnus frowned. “It’s 3 in the morning. You just got home? Alexander, do I need to have a talk with Jace about bringing you home to me at a _reasonable hour_? Don’t make me turn you into Cinderella,”

Alec, having never heard the tale of Cinderella, just shook his head in confusion. “Magnus it’s my fault, I’ll tell you all about the mission in the morning,”

“Tell me now, it’ll distract me.” Magnus said, getting out of bed and shuffling his way to their kitchen, Alec one step behind.

Magnus busied himself making coffee while Alec began to retell the events of that night. The warlock nodded along to the story, frowning at some parts and pausing in his drinking to scold Alec or insult Jace. When Alec was finished, Magnus’ mind was far from the horrifying images of his nightmare, he was completely consumed by his gorgeous boyfriend, and how good he looked in the lamp light.

“Mags,” Alec sighed.

“Hm? Yes darling?” Magnus murmured.

“Can you stop staring at my lips?”

“Why?” Magnus smirked. “Problem?”

“Yeah,” Alec said dryly. “Because now I want to kiss you.”

“That’s not a problem in my book,” Magnus continued to smirk over his coffee cup, his eyes suggestive.

Alec rolled his eyes, but a smile was forming on his face as he sighed in affectionate exasperation. Magnus chuckled, and ceased to stare for the sake of Alec’s dignity. He hopped up to wash out his cup and feed Chairman a fish snack.

“Time for bed?” Alec asked.

“Mmm.” Magnus replied. “I’m much better now, thank you for staying up, I know you must be tired.”

“It’s alright Magnus, anything for you.” Alec smiled easily.

Magnus beamed at him, and reached up on his tiptoes to kiss his cheek tenderly.

“Still, it was thoughtful.” He whispered. “Thank you for taking care of me tonight sweetheart.”     

Alec kissed his lips, wrapping his arms around Magnus. He surprised Magnus by lifting him off his feet and carrying him to bed. Wrapped securely in his boyfriend’s arms, Magnus had no more nightmares that night. Instead, his dreams were filled with visions of Alec and his beautiful smile. 


End file.
